By Business Reporter | Zimbabwe risks being blacklisted on international banking after Finance And Economic Minister Mthuli Ncube threatened to wipe out or deal with the Al Jazeera news network’s evidence on the Zimbabwe state assisted #GOLDMAFIA gangs, featured in the latest documentary on financial crimes happening in Southern Africa.
Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube- file
Speaking to the financial news Bloomberg media house, Mthuli Ncube said the Zimbabwe government’s response is to deal with the allegations. He stated nothing about arresting or stopping the alleged crimes.
In the documentary, rival smuggling gangs were infiltrated by the news network’s undercover journalists and various gold and money leaks tracked down to source between several countries, Zimbabwe, UK, South Africa and the UAE.
Mthuli Ncube said, “we will deal with any money laundering allegations out there…” and further went on to charge saying the news network has no evidence at all, it’s just a documentary, despite paper trails independently verified by among others, the respected Ernst And Young auditing firm, and notable investigators from South Africa’s Zondo Commission.
“…I don’t think there is any evidence; there is a documentary out there but that’s not evidence,” he threatened.
This is the third time a senior official has threatened attack the audited evidence; last month, the nation’s central bank governor John Mangudya threatened the news network, though he later reversed his statement saying he would only go after individuals who were filmed boasting about their access to allegedly clean dirty money through him.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa’ Spokesman George Charamba was more direct, saying journalists who cite the documentary will be arrested.
Since the documentary was revealed in February, state elements have been claiming the government was never consulted on the revelations which however, one of Al Jazeera’s researchers Simba Chikanza publicly and openly disclosed to both Mthuli Ncube, Reserve Bank Of Zimbabwe Governor, and the Central Intelligence Organisation far back as November 2018, on live video (watch below.)
ALSO READ – 2018: HOW USDs DISAPPEARED: RBZ Bought “Fake Gold” From Well Known Kenyan Criminal.
Meanwhile, Mthuli Ncube last week told Bloomberg of his motives after being asked –
There has been a lot of concern around corruption in the country especially with the recent documentary by Al Jazeera. What are you communicating that the govt is actually trying to do to rid the corruption that is happening ?
Mthuli Ncube responded saying: “Zimbabwe is intolerant to corruption; … corruption happens everywhere in the world, but it’s issues about the stance you take as a govt to deal with that corruption; we have an anti corruption commission; we have got a very active police, law enforcement, you know, departments and agencies, they are dealing with these things; we have a zero tolerance on corruption; but corruption does happen anywhere in the world; and in terms of some of the scandals and the issues that you are mentioning, Zimbabwe was on the grey list in terms of the FATF, we are off that list because we have been very tough in terms of anti money laundering stance. We have issued public statements condemning corruption and saying that we will deal with any money laundering allegations out there, we have been very clear about that, like most governments tend to be.
But there has been evidence that the government has been involved in some of this?, the Bloomberg presenter asked, to which Mthuli Ncube replied saying,
“I don’t know about that, we will investigate every avenue to see if any government official is involved, or something like that; I don’t think there is any evidence; there is a documentary out there but that’s not evidence,” he threatened.